This Once-Popular Plastic Surgery Procedure Is Making a Major Comeback

Photo Credits: Dmitry Lobanov/Shutterstock/Model Is Used for Illustrative Purposes Only

To the surprise of absolutely no one, plastic surgery rates are
still on the rise, and yet again we have the numbers to prove it. According to new data released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), there were
17.5 million surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures performed in
the United States in 2017, a 2 percent increase over the year before.

Of the 1.8 million cosmetic surgical procedures performed last
year, the top five most sought-after surgeries stayed generally the same as it was in
2016, with one exception. Tummy tucks have officially surpassed facelifts on
this list, eliminating facelifts from the top five entirely. Here are the most popular
procedures from 2017:

Breast
augmentation (300,378 procedures, up 3 percent from 2016)

Liposuction(246,354
procedures, up 5 percent from 2016)

Nose
reshaping (218,924 procedures, down 2 percent from 2016)

Eyelid
surgery (209,571 procedures, approximately the same as
2016)

Tummy tuck (129,753
procedures, up 2 percent from 2016)

In 2016, tummy tucks did not make the top five list of cosmetic
surgeries performed, which is why the sudden rebound in 2017 is surprising for
many. Over 2,000 more tummy tucks were performed in 2017 than in 2016, showing quite the increase year over year.

"An improved abdominal
contour is something that many of us strive for, but for some patients, that
may not be attainable through diet and exercise alone," said ASPS
President Jeffrey E. Janis, MD, in a statement explaining the sudden rise. "Age, pregnancy and
significant weight changes can impact both the skin and underlying muscle.
Tummy tucks performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon remove excess fat
and skin, and in most cases, restore weakened or separated muscles to create an
improved abdominal profile."